Back to School Blues
by Willowsnake
Summary: A friend from Joey's distant past reappears in dire need of his help. And with his old friend attending Domino High School with him as a senior, intent on hooking him up with Kaiba, what is poor Joey to do? Plus, an intense school music project? REVISED!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Joey Wheeler woke to the sound of his phone ringing. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was only 3 o'clock in the morning. Groaning, he grabbed his phone blindly and answered it.

"Hello?" he yawned.

"J-Joey?" came a soft, frightened voice from the phone. Recognizing the voice immediately, the blond shot up from his bed.

"Jesse? Is that ya?" he asked hurriedly.

"Yes. Can you c-come get me pl-please," sobbed Jesse.

"I'll come get ya right away. Where are ya?" asked Joey, fumbling around to put on some clothes.

"Domino Park. Please hurry, Joey."

"Don't worry. I'm on my way. Just stay right where ya are, okay?"

"Okay." And with that, the line went dead.

Joey shakily hung up the phone and put on the rest of his clothes. Grabbing his keys, he ran out of his apartment, slamming the door behind him as he ran for Domino Park to find Jesse.

* * *

Jesse was an old childhood friend of Joey's. They'd grown up in the same neighborhood when they were younger, going through the same thing: being abused by their fathers. Although, Jesse's stepfather was actually the one who abused him, not his biological father, and the abuse was much worse than Joey's.

When the blond had to move away at twelve-years-old, he promised Jesse that if he ever needed anything, to just give him a call. And Jesse promised that he would.

They'd kept in touch every once in awhile throughout the years, and Joey then realized that Jesse's abuse had gotten much worse.

One night, Jesse had called him, bawling his heart out, screaming that his stepfather had raped him. Joey tried to comfort him the best he could through the phone, feeling a tight pang in his chest, but there was nothing he could really do so far away from him. However, his presence had been more than enough.

So Joey swore to Jesse that once he turned eighteen, he'd move out of his drunken father's apartment and get his own; Jesse was more than welcome to come live with him once he turned eighteen.

According to Joey's calculations, Jesse was just that.

* * *

Reaching the park, Joey looked frantically for his old friend. "Jesse!" he called. "Jesse!"

"Here!" Joey whipped his head around in the direction of the quiet voice and saw Jesse huddled beneath a tree in the park. Racing over to him, Jesse stood up unsteadily and embraced Joey in a fierce hug. The blond hugged him back just as fiercely, tears streaming down his face as Jesse began to talk. "He r-raped me again! When I was trying to leave, to come to y-you, he raped me!" Jesse cried.

Joey pulled away and rubbed the tears from Jesse's eyes. "Everythin's gonna be fine now, okay? He can't hurt ya anymore because you're gonna stay with me at my apartment. Understand?" he said forcefully. Jesse nodded mutely and just stood there as if he were waiting for a command of some sort.

Picking up Jesse's meager luggage, which consisted of only one bag, Joey took him by his right hand and led him to his apartment.

It took them a while to get there since it seemed like Jesse was having trouble walking; he winced in pain every now and then, and Joey knew why, although, he kind of wished he didn't.

"Here we are. Home, sweet home," Joey said as he opened the door to his apartment. Leading Jesse inside, he tossed his bag on the floor and sat him on the couch so he could get a better look at him.

Joey knelt in front of Jesse and stared at his slightly bruised face. Jesse's black hair, streaked with light blue, was layered and reached his jaw. His aqua green eyes looked broken and empty. There was a cut above his soft pink lips and his complexion was pasty. Joey was going to put a stop this right now.

"Jesse?" he called, trying to get him to focus on his voice. "Will ya let me clean ya up?" Jesse stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly. Standing up, Joey helped Jesse rise with him; they were around the same height, Joey just being slightly taller.

He led Jesse into the bathroom and sat him on the toilet. "Do ya want to take a bath?" Joey knew he had to ask before he did anything because he didn't want to frighten the other teen off.

"Um…yes," he replied timidly.

Joey sighed in relief. Jesse was starting to talk to him again. He went over to the tub and started filling it with warm water. "Do…ya need help…with your clothes?" Joey asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Jesse would allow him to get that close.

The other stood from the toilet and started unbuttoning his shirt. Dropping it to the floor, Joey gasped when he saw the bruises on Jesse's chest; it reminded him so much of his own when he'd still lived with his father.

Jesse noticed his friend's expression and smiled faintly, averting his eyes while subconsciously covering his chest defensively. "Joey…you know…I trust you completely. You can help me…but if I say stop…then stop," Jesse said gently.

Joey nodded then turned the water off. He stepped over to Jesse after he finished removing all of his clothes and guided him into the tub without looking at him. When Joey felt it was safe to look, he grabbed a sponge and some soap and started to gently clean up Jesse's wounds. The blond paused whenever he stiffened and would continue whenever he relaxed.

Finished, Joey let the water out and helped Jesse dry off.

"I'll be right back. Let me get ya some clothes," said Joey, leaving the bathroom. When he returned, he handed Jesse a pair of boxers, and a set of warm pajamas. "Are…ya hungry?"

Jesse's stomach answered for him…and he laughed. Joey joined in.

The blond guessed that he was going to be fine.

* * *

Jesse lay curled up next to Joey in his bed, trying to sleep. But he couldn't; he was too restless.

"Joey? I can't sleep. Talk to me," said Jesse, looking up at the blond.

"What do ya wanna talk about?" Joey replied interestedly. He was…happy that Jesse was with him finally. It'd been so long since they'd seen each other and Joey wanted them to pick up where they left off in their friendship.

Jesse averted his eyes for a moment before gazing back at Joey. "Could you ever…love me?"

The blond's eyes widened. That was _not_ a question he'd been expecting. And he didn't want to hurt the other teen, either, but he had to tell him the truth. "I…love ya like I would a siblin', Jesse. I'm sorry if…ya wanted more from me, but…that's how I honestly feel about ya."

Jesse could feel tears stinging his eyes. "Is it…because I was ra-"

"No, Jesse. No. That's not it at all," Joey exclaimed, sitting up. Jesse sat up with him. "I do care about ya, Jesse…just not _that_ way. I love ya like a brother and I will always try to be here for ya…to protect ya and make sure you're okay."

Jesse closed his eyes and sighed sadly. "I apologize for…making you feel uncomfortable, Joey. I guess I just…I wanted you to love me because I…know you won't hurt me. And you understand what I've gone through," Jesse said quietly. "I just think that no one else would want me because I'm…you know...damaged."

"Jesse," Joey sighed, lying back down on the bed. "There is someone out there for ya, who'll love ya regardless of what's happened to ya."

"I hope you're right," Jesse replied, falling back against the bed. "Do you have anyone who loves you like that?" he asked with a playful smirk.

Joey blushed. "No."

"Ooh! You like someone, don't you?" Jesse exclaimed, turning to face him. When all Joey did was look away, he said, "Who is it? Tell me, Joey-love!"

Joey glared at the nickname. "Why should I tell ya?"

"Because I'm your bestest friend in the whole wide world, sweet little Joey-love!" answered Jesse, pouting at him cutely.

"Fine!" Joey growled, turning to smother his face in his pillow. "IlikeSetoKaiba."

"What? I…didn't quite get that."

"I like…Seto Kaiba," he said, turning enough so that Jesse could hear him before hiding his face in the pillow again.

"Isn't that the hot billionaire and owner of Kaiba Corp.?"

"Yes," came Joey's muffled reply.

"Good choice. Have you told him yet?"

"No!" Joey screamed, looking at Jesse, aghast. "He hates me! He always picks on me and calls me dog names and-"

"It sounds like he likes you," Jesse deduced.

Joey looked at him in shock. "How'd ya come up with that?"

"Well…little boys always pick on the little girls they like, so this Seto Kaiba probably likes you."

"There's only one problem with your logic. I'M NOT A GIRL!"

"…I still think he likes you," Jesse replied stubbornly. "And I'll prove it when we go back to school."

"What? Wait…you're comin' to school with me?" Joey asked, paling slightly. _Who knows what kind of embarrassin' stuff he'll pull!_

"Yeah! What's wrong with that? We've got one week of summer vacation left and both of us will be seniors this year! And then you can introduce me to all your friends and I'll convince you that Seto Kaiba likes you."

Joey groaned. "Are ya sure ya wanna go to my school? Lots of weird shit usually happens around my friends. Not to mention you'll probably get mauled by girls since you're…well…quite…uh, attractive."

"Do the girls maul you?" Jesse asked with another smirk playing around his features.

"No," Joey answered curtly.

"Well, they would if you did something with that blond mop you call hair!"

"It's too much trouble."

"Ooh! Can I give you a makeover then? I _love_ doing that kind of stuff! You'd make an excellent guinea pig…I mean, uh…I'll make you look hotter!" Jesse said excitedly.

"No. You're not comin' anywhere near me or my hair," Joey warned.

* * *

_**Domino High School**_

Seto Kaiba was furious as he headed toward his first class. It was the first day back at school after a nice, long summer break. He was finally a senior, as well as Yugi and the rest of the geek squad. So what should make this day any different?

Well, let's just say our CEO wasn't too happy with his schedule. He needed one more elective in order to graduate, so he decided to take Computers. He'd wiz through it in no time at all. Besides, he knew more than the teacher. But there were a couple of problems.

The first problem was that he was the only person who'd signed up for the class; therefore, it had been cancelled and he had to find another elective.

His second problem was that just about every other elective had been filled. That only left Dance and Music.

After arguing with the principal that morning on taking Computers on Independent Study, he was…_obliged_ to decide between Dance and Music. Since he really didn't want to dance with some drooling fangirl, he decided to take Music instead.

Heading toward his classroom, he noticed he was the first one there. "Great," he muttered as he sat himself down in the back of the class. Soon the rest of the geek squad and other students arrived, minus Joey.

Well…that was strange. Wasn't the blond usually attached to Yugi's hip or something?

Shrugging it off, Kaiba stared at the wall, trying to ignore everyone's presence. But his blank stare was soon interrupted by a group of squealing girls as they burst into the classroom. He couldn't help but be intrigued when he heard the Mutt's name.

"Oh! Have you seen Joey?" one of them screeched. "He looks so hot! I think he got a totally hot makeover or something!"

"And did you see the guy he was with? He's totally cute, too! I wonder if he's Joey's boyfriend!" shrieked another one.

"They probably are since they were walking so close together! They make an awfully cute couple!" squealed the last girl.

_What? _thought Kaiba. _The Mutt has a boyfriend? Why the hell does he have a boyfriend? Who is it? Why…the hell do I care? _Kaiba wasn't too sure how he felt; he felt like he had been…betrayed or something. He looked over at Yugi and the gang. They appeared as oblivious as he was. _I'll just have to wait and see if the rumors are true._

_

* * *

_

"Let go of my hand, Jesse," Joey deadpanned. The teen opted to hold he blond's hand as if they were a couple, swinging their joined hands back and forth.

"Why Joey-love?"

Joey's expression darkened at the nickname. "And stop calling me that!"

"Bad, Joey-love. You should be nice to me. Look at all I've done for you!"

Jesse had managed to trim Joey's hair so that it was easier to tame. It was no longer the mop of messy blond hair. Instead, it was cut about the same length as Jesse's and flipped out. Joey's school uniform was even ironed and buttoned up.

"If ya call havin' half the girls in the school getting' nosebleeds by lookin' at us, then yeah, you've helped me a lot," Joey replied sarcastically.

Jesse frowned slightly, but cheered up when a thought crossed his mind. "Well, how about I hook you up with that Seto Kaiba? Ooh! I know! Let's act like a couple and make him jealous!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Ya know? How about we just go to class? Does that sound like a good idea? Good! Now let's go!" Joey said urgently, pushing Jesse ahead of him and into their first class, which just so happened to be Music.

The students quieted instantly when they saw Joey and Jesse. But it didn't last long.

"They are so totally hot!" screeched a group of girls near the front of the class. Joey backed away slowly, hoping they wouldn't pounce on them or anything, but Jesse pulled him back.

"Come on, Joey-love. Are your friends here? Introduce me to them," whined Jesse.

"Oh! That is soooo cute! He called him Joey-love! They _are_ dating!" squealed another girl.

Joey closed his eyes and counted to ten. He could feel a headache coming on. It was going to be a long day.

"Um…Joey?" He opened his eyes and looked down at Yugi. "Who's your friend?"

"My friend? Right now, he's a pest," said Joey, glaring at Jesse, who'd linked their fingers together. Joey stared at their intertwined hands as if he were willing them apart.

Jesse pouted at him. "That's not very nice, Joey-love."

"Stop callin' me that! And let go of my hand!" exclaimed Joey, desperately trying to get the teen to let go of his hand. Jesse just tightened his grip.

"Introduce me to your friends and I'll let go," Jesse bargained.

Sighing in defeat, Joey looked to his friends. "Guys, this is Jesse. He's a friend of mine who…transferred to our school this year. Jesse, these are my friends: Yugi, Yami, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, Marik, Duke, Tristan, and Tea."

"Okay! So let me see if I got this right. Yugi is the adorable little chibi, Yami is the intimidating Pharaoh, Ryou is the sweet little Brit, Bakura is the good-looking thief, Malik is the cute tomb-keeper, Marik is the psychotic one, Duke is the hot and sexy dice-man, Tristan is the tough guy, and Tea is the excellent dancer. Am I right?" Jesse smiled.

"Yes. Now will ya let go of my hand?" Joey begged.

"See! I listen! What about your friend Seto Kaiba?" Jesse asked suddenly, a malicious glint in his eyes. Joey fought back a blush.

"He's not my friend," Joey growled.

Jesse roughly glomped him, almost knocking him over a desk, and pouted cutely again. "Come on."

Tristan, not used to someone pouncing on his best friend like that, especially someone so…girly, in his opinion, jolted into action. He grabbed Jesse by the arm and yanked him off of Joey, making him land on the floor…hard.

Jesse whimpered in pain when he hit the floor and cowered.

"Leave him alone, you sissy!" snarled Tristan. But soon, the tough brunet was on the floor, too. Joey had punched him in the face.

"Don't ya ever touch him again, ya hear me?" roared Joey. None of them had ever seen him so angry before.

Tristan put a hand to his pounding face in shock.

* * *

Kaiba saw what happened and looked on…stunned. Tristan had just thrown someone perfectly harmless off of the Mutt and then the Mutt had hit his best friend. Glancing at Jesse, he realized that the newcomer was _not_ okay.

Rising from his seat, he cautiously approached the fallen figure. Jesse had pulled his knees to his chest and was crying.

"Um…Jesse, is it?" Kaiba said. When he received no response, he put a hand on Jesse's shoulder.

Jesse yelled and tried to scramble away.

"Kaiba, get away from him please," Joey said anxiously, kneeling in front of Jesse. Kaiba took a step back and watched on in…concern. "Jesse. Jesse. Look at me. It's Joey. You're safe. It's okay. It's just me, Joey."

Jesse turned his tear-filled eyes to him. "Joey?"

"Yes. It's Joey. Come here, Jesse," he answered softly. Jesse threw himself into Joey's outstretched arms and cried. "Come on. Up we go," said the blond, pulling Jesse to his feet. He led him to a seat near the back of the class and sat him down.

Kaiba followed mutely. He watched as Joey wiped the tears from Jesse's face. Sniffling, he took a deep breath and calmed down.

"I'm okay now," whispered Jesse.

"Are ya sure? Because we can lea-"

"I'm fine, Joey. I was…just a little shaken up. That's all."

"Is…he okay?" Joey whipped his head around to see who asked the question. It was Duke.

"He's fine," the blond answered, puzzled. _Why's Duke care?_

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys then? I…really don't want to be over where Tristan is at the moment. What he did was uncalled for," Duke stated heatedly.

"Um...sure ya can. It's only the three of us," replied Joey.

"Four."

"Huh?" Joey said, turning toward Kaiba. He'd forgotten he was there.

"There are four of us, Mutt," Kaiba repeated, taking a seat next to him.

"O…kay," Joey said stunned before he realized what Kaiba had just called him. "Hey! I am not a dog!"

"Quiet, Mr. Wheeler!" shouted their teacher, Mrs. Handley, as she walked into the room. "Okay, class! Everyone find a seat!" she announced. "All right. This year is going to be one fantastic year. We're going to start it off with a project. There is a school wide Talent Show coming up and all of you are going to be in it. The Talent Show is in a month and a half's time.

"Now, you will be placed into groups and remain in these groups for the duration of the year. You'll play together, sing together, and make wonderful music together. And the best part is that you'll be picking your groups. You can only have four in a group. Once you're in your groups, start discussing what song you would like to perform together for the Talent Show. I'll come around and listen in and help you if you need it."

_We have to sing! There is no way in hell I'm singing_, Kaiba growled in his head. He continued ranting in his mind as their teacher dismissed them to find their groups.

"You guys want to be a group then?" asked Duke.

"I think that's a great idea!" stated Jesse, feeling much more like himself now.

"Why not?" Kaiba said halfheartedly. It beat being in a group of his obsessive fangirls. And besides, he'd be able to keep an eye on the Mutt and figure out who this Jesse guy was.

"All right," agreed Joey. "I guess we're a group then."

Suddenly, their teacher approached them. "I'm assuming since you haven't moved that you'll be in a group together?" she asked.

"Yep," replied Duke.

"Mr. Wheeler, I'd be honored if you'd help the three of them out, especially Mr. Kaiba. Maybe you can open him up a little. If anyone can do it, it's you. Besides, it might be fun," she said optimistically.

Joey didn't think Kaiba and fun went together very well. "What? Why? I'm not helpin' him do anythin'!"

"Yes, you will," Mrs. Handley replied threateningly. The glare she sent was even scarier than Kaiba's.

Joey gulped. "I understand."

Kaiba was confused. The Mutt? Helping him? "What do you mean by helping me?" he demanded.

Mrs. Handley hardened her gaze and glared at him. "Can you play an instrument?"

Kaiba paused. "No."

"Can you sing?"

Kaiba paused again. "I've…never tried."

"Then it looks like Mr. Wheeler will be the one salvaging your grade this year. He's quite talented." Joey blushed. "And being in a group with him means you won't always have to be in class. The four of you will be able to leave, but I expect Mr. Wheeler to tutor all of you after school in music. Or no…wait! I have an even better idea!" Mrs. Handley suddenly screamed, appearing quite…frightful.

"And…what would that be?" Duke asked unsurely.

"Oh! This is absolutely perfect! I'll get the paperwork done right away!" she continued to ramble.

Kaiba, growing quite impatient, yelled, "What are you going on about?"

"The four of you are going to be living together! At your place of residence, Mr. Kaiba! If that Seto Kaiba stalker website was correct, you have a music room and instruments at your mansion. Is this true?"

Kaiba, as well as the rest of them, looked at her strangely. Swallowing hard, Kaiba vowed to figure out who these so-called stalkers were and have his revenge. But in the meantime, he decided to just answer her question.

"I do, but these three morons are not living at my mansion!" Kaiba snapped, looking absolutely furious.

"Well," Mrs. Handley began in a singsong voice, "If you don't, then all four of you will fail this class, meaning you'll become…what…seniors again next year?"

"Ya can't do that!" shrieked Joey.

"Why do we have to stay at _his_ place?" Duke added, pointing at Kaiba.

Jesse just looked on in amusement. If they stayed at Kaiba's place, then maybe hooking up Joey with his crush would be easier than he thought.

"BECAUSE FOR ONCE IN MY PATHETIC LIFE AS A TEACHER, I'VE FINALLY COME ACROSS A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE SOME POTENTIAL IN MUSIC! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE I'VE COME ACROSS STUDENTS WITH TALENT? YOU'RE THE BEST OF THE WORST! YOU WILL LIVE TOGETHER, EAT TOGETHER, SLEEP TOGETHER, PRACTICE TOGETHER, AND YOU WILL BE GREAT!"

Mrs. Handley started breathing heavily after her…persuasive answer, her demon-like glare just daring them to challenge her again.

The teens nodded in agreement…unsurely.

"Okay. Off you go then," she said, dismissing them. "I'll have the paperwork ready by this afternoon, and then, after school, you can all move in together."

As Mrs. Handley left, Joey hesitantly glanced at Kaiba. "So…what do ya wanna do now?"

Kaiba stared at him for a bit before replying, still quite frustrated by the fact that his three group members had to live with him. But…he couldn't help but be curious about one thing. "How talented are you?" He was actually quite interested to see what Joey was capable of. This wasn't a side of the Mutt he'd expected to see.

"I can play piano and violin very well…and sing. And I've also taught myself to play a number of other instruments," he answered quietly.

"Hn. How are you supposed to tutor me…_us_…exactly?"

"I'm probably gonna have to teach ya to play an instrument. Piano may be the easiest for right now…and perhaps singin'. But we can get to that part later," Joey replied, crossing his arms.

Kaiba stared at him for a bit more. "You can use the piano I have at the mansion. Would you like to see that first after school?" _I can't believe I just asked him that._

_I can't believe he just asked me that_, Joey thought. "Sure."

"Fine. You can see it after…the three of you have moved in," Kaiba stated, albeit grudgingly.

"Wait! Don't I have a say in this?" exclaimed Duke, feeling quite left out.

"Not really," Kaiba replied curtly.

"Well, I don't mind. I go wherever Joey-love goes, anyway," said Jesse, leaning back in his seat.

This comment drew Duke's attention. "Are…you and Joey dating?"

_Finally! _Kaiba thought, relief filling him, although, he didn't know why. _I've been waiting to hear the answer to this all morning._

"No," Joey and Jesse answered simultaneously.

This only made Duke more confused. "Then why are you guys so-"

"Joey and I are just really good friends. We've know each other for…almost our whole lives. He's been…helping me through something for the past week. I've been staying at his apartment. He's…the only one…I really trust," Jesse answered quietly, looking distant.

"Jesse?" called Joey, trying to bring him back.

"Hm?" Jesse's eyes seemed to clear. "Sorry, Joey."

The blond just shook his head then gave him a reassuring smile. Duke and Kaiba continued to look on in confusion. Just what was he helping him with?

"So, Kaiba. When...do ya want us at your mansion?" asked Joey.

"Right after school. I'll call for my limo to pick us up. You'll be taken to your place of residence to pack your things and then we'll go to the mansion."

"A limo?" Jesse asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, a limo. What? Never seen one before?" Kaiba retorted. "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing the back of his head. His eyes narrowed on Joey. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"Don't talk to him like that. If ya need to mess with someone, mess with me, not him," Joey growled threateningly. Kaiba cast a quick glance at Jesse and saw that he looked a bit distant again. He started feeling guilty. Yes, guilty.

"Hey, Jesse. Can you play any instruments?" Duke asked, noticing the distant look on Jesse's face. Duke smiled when Jesse's gaze focused on him and his eyes cleared again.

"Um…yes. I can play the piano as well, although, I prefer bass guitar. I like singing, too. Joey and I used to play together all the time when we were younger. What about you?" replied Jesse, smiling at Duke.

For some reason Duke felt himself begin to blush. What was it about Jesse that made him feel so…giddy?

"Um…I can play drum set, but I have to admit that I've never tried singing something seriously before."

"Well, I can help you if you want," said Jesse, smiling sweetly at him. He giggled when he noticed the blush staining Duke's cheeks.

Kaiba and Joey watched the interaction in…jealous amusement.

_Why can't Kaiba and I do that?_ Joey thought longingly.

_Why can't my Puppy and I do that? _Kaiba thought. _Wait…what? Why would I want to do that with my Puppy? Did I just say my Puppy? What the hell is wrong with me today? _Kaiba argued in his head.

Suddenly, the bell rang, jolting everyone out of their thoughts.

"Um, how about we meet during lunch so that we can discuss a few things about the project and…our accommodations?" offered Jesse, rising from his seat, everyone else following suit.

Joey and Duke nodded in compliance. "Where should we meet at lunch?" asked Duke.

"We'll meet outside under the large oak tree," Kaiba declared, walking swiftly out of the classroom.

Jesse, Joey, and Duke just stood there staring after him in shock.

* * *

_**Lunch**_

"Let's go grab some lunch from the Cafeteria first and then we'll head for the oak tree," said Joey.

"Okay, Joey-love," replied Jesse happily.

"Can ya please stop callin' me that?" pleaded Joey as they entered the Cafeteria.

"Why? I think it suits you."

"Fine. Call me Joey-love again and I'll call ya…Jesse-bear," said Joey forcefully. _Let's see how he likes bein' called embarrassin' nicknames._

Jesse's eyes widened momentarily before twinkling with joy. "Oh! I like that!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Joey groaned.

When they finally got their food, they were intercepted by Yugi and the gang.

"Would you like to have lunch with us Joey? Jesse?" asked Yugi shyly, still unsure of what to do because of what happened with Tristan that morning.

"Not today, Yugi. We need to meet with Duke and Kaiba about our music project and…livin' conditions. Mrs. Handley is makin' the four of us live together at Kaiba's place, I guess to get along or whatever. She's givin' us the paperwork later on it. So Duke, Jesse and I need to meet with Kaiba to talk," answered Joey quickly. He didn't want to deal with them right now, not after what happened that morning.

Tristan rolled his eyes in annoyance, not really paying much attention to what he said. He didn't like Jesse and it pissed him off even more that he seemed to be getting all of the attention. "What's this Jesse guy to you, anyway? He seems like a total baby to me. I mean come on. He cried when I pulled him off you!"

"Back off, Tristan!" growled Joey.

"And then you go and hit me? What kind of a friend does that? We're best buds, remember? Or did that girly friend of yours turn you away from the people who _really_ care about you?"

"Tris-"

"Shut the fuck up, Tristan!" interrupted Duke aggressively, stepping in front of him. "Why don't you get it through that small pea brain of yours that maybe Jesse is s decent guy; that maybe you're making poor assumptions before you know all the facts; that maybe you're being a jerk!"

Tristan was stunned by the outburst. "Fine! Go and have your little foursome. See if I care! But don't come crying to me, Joey, if they all dump your sorry ass!" And with that, Tristan stormed off. A deafening silence fell over the whole gang as they processed what Tristan had just said.

"I'm really sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Joey. I…didn't mean to make you have a fight with your best friend," said Jesse quietly.

"Ya did nothin' wrong, Jesse. Tristan's just…havin' a bad day or somethin'," replied Joey optimistically.

"Yeah. He'll come around in no time. You're a good person, Jesse. Once he realizes that, everything will be fine," Duke said reassuringly, resting a hand on Jesse's shoulder slowly. Jesse stiffened a bit, but when their eyes met, he relaxed.

Joey watched the exchange anxiously, but when he saw that Jesse was fine, he smiled. It seemed like Duke knew to take things slow, really slow, around Jesse. Perhaps…Duke was the one for Jesse. He'd just have to wait and see…and make sure that Duke would never hurt him.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

Jesse, Joey, and Duke headed outside and made their way to the large oak tree in the schoolyard. They noticed that Kaiba was already sitting beneath it, his briefcase resting beside him while reading a book.

"It took you long enough," Kaiba mumbled under his breath as they neared him.

"Shut up, Moneybags. Can't we just get on with it?" groaned Joey, not feeling up to this whole 'group' thing.

Kaiba just glared at him before opening his briefcase. Pulling out some papers, he handed each of them a copy. "This is the paperwork Mrs. Handley created for us. Just sign the damn thing and I'll give it to her after school."

"What's it for, anyway?" Duke asked as his eyes scanned the document. "Do we really have to stay at your place?" Apparently, Mrs. Handley was true to her word about them living together. For what purpose, they hadn't a clue.

"Um…how is this going to work?" Jesse asked hesitantly. He wasn't too sure about living at a complete stranger's house, even if Joey would be right there with him.

"These papers state that the three of you will be living with me for the next few months so that we can…_efficiently_ put together a decent performance at the talent show. But there is one small catch. Each of us has to star in a song. That means singing. And I…do _not_ sing," Kaiba growled, emphasizing each word and looking extremely pissed off.

Jesse looked quite amused. "I'm pretty sure Joey-love wouldn't mind adhering to your _needs_. He's _very_ good at what he does. I'm sure you'll be _quite_ satisfied," he said, smirking at Joey.

Joey blushed furiously. Jesse was crossing the line and stepping into enemy territory. How the hell could he just drop stupid hints like that to Kaiba?

Wait! Kaiba!

Joey snapped his head in Kaiba's general direction and saw that he looked completely normal. Maybe he didn't pick up on Jesse's sexual innuendos.

Kaiba made eye contact with Joey briefly and then faced Jesse once more. "I may not be an _expert_ in this area, but I think I know enough to judge whether the Mutt is _good_ or not. We'll see how well he _satisfies_ me." _Oh yes, Pup. I did catch on. Let's see how well you handle it._

_Oh…my—did he even get what he just said? _Joey thought frantically. _He couldn't…no!_

_Did…Kaiba just…indirectly admit to liking Joey? Hm…maybe this whole living together thing will be interesting after all. It'll be as funny as hell, too_, Duke thought to himself.

Jesse smiled. _This is working out better than I'd hoped. _"Joey? Are we going home to pack after school?"

Joey nodded mutely in response as he tried to get his raging emotions under control. _Stupid Jesse! Stupid fuckin' Kaiba! _Joey swallowed hard as he thought over his last two words. 'Fucking Kaiba' was the last thing he needed to have on his mind right now.

"Oh! Um, Kaiba?" Jesse asked timidly.

"What?" Kaiba responded calmly.

"Are we getting our own rooms too or-"

"You can each have your own room," Kaiba answered quickly, believing this was what Jesse wanted to hear. He still wasn't sure what had really set Jesse off earlier, so he thought it best to remain as straightforward as possible. "I have plenty of rooms. You can choose which one you want to stay in."

"Um…about that. Is it all right if I share with Joey? Please?"

Kaiba looked momentarily stunned. He wanted to share a room with _his_ Puppy? _I thought they weren't together! And why do I keep referring to the Mutt as my Puppy? He's not mine! Not yet anyway. What? No! But…maybe…I want him to be. No! No, I don't! He's just a filthy Mutt…isn't he?_

"Kaiba?" Joey called, interrupting the brunet from his inner bantering.

"Hn? I guess…that's all right. But why do you two need to share a room, anyway?" What? He was curious! Who could blame him?

"I don't like being alone in a new place," Jesse answered. It strained from the truth just a tad, but no one else needed to know the real reason.

Duke watched Jesse with concern. _What on earth happened to you, Jesse? You're so kind and sweet. What's made you so afraid? And of what?_

"Fine. Then it's settled. Meet me after school and we'll go pick up your stuff," Kaiba replied.

"Um, how about I meet you at your place? I have my own car and I drove today. What time should I meet you there?" inquired Duke.

"Five this afternoon. Mokuba will be home by then and I'm sure he'll be anxious to greet you all."

"Mokuba? Who's Mokuba?" asked Jesse, confusion evident on his face. Just how many people were living at Kaiba's place anyway?

"That's Kaiba's little brother. He's a big bundle of energy, but fun all the same," answered Joey with a grin on his face.

Kaiba inwardly smiled. He didn't know that Joey was fond of his brother, and that fact made him feel quite…pleased.

* * *

_**After School**_

Kaiba whipped out his cell phone and called his driver, ordering him to pick them up. Hanging up his phone, the brunet started walking out of the school, Jesse and Joey trailing behind him. They stood in silence for a few minutes until the limo arrived.

Eventually getting inside, Joey gawked at how nice the interior was.

"Stop drooling in my limo, Mutt." Well, acting civil toward one another seemed out of the question at the moment.

"Shut up, Moneybags. I _could_ just let ya fail our Music class."

"And wouldn't that make you, Jesse, and Devlin fail as well?" Kaiba retorted.

Joey growled. He hadn't thought of that. If they were going to get anywhere, they were going to have to…get along…as difficult as that might be.

"We're not gonna be able to do anythin' if we keep fightin'," Joey said obviously.

Kaiba smirked. This was starting to get interesting. "What are you suggesting, Mutt?"

Joey glared. "How about we…make…a truce or somethin'. We'll be nice to each other and try to get along for the rest of the school year. We can go back to hatin' each other after we graduate. Deal?"

Kaiba thought about his offer for a moment then smirked playfully. "Fine. As long as I still get to call you Puppy, we have a deal."

"Puppy? Since when do ya call me Puppy?" Joey asked, cocking his head in confusion. Jesse started laughing.

"Since now. No fighting for the duration of the school year. And I get to call you Puppy. Do we have a deal or not?"

Joey knew Kaiba wouldn't back down from the Puppy thing, so he grudgingly agreed.

Kaiba smirked triumphantly, satisfied with his final decision. _Perfect. This may give me the chance I need to make my Puppy…mine._ He was very pleased with his primal thought.

And it seemed like Jesse was thinking along those same lines. He was already contemplating how to get his best friend with the CEO.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

Soon, they arrived at the mansion after picking up their things from Joey's apartment, and both Jesse and the blond were completely awestruck by it. The Kaiba Mansion was huge!

Duke was already there, waiting outside with his bags in hand. "Well, look who finally decided to show up. I thought I was going to be stuck out here for hours."

"Shut up, Devlin. It's not my fault it took these two idiots so long to pack," retorted Kaiba as he briskly walked up the steps of the mansion.

"We're not idiots!" Joey argued angrily. "I had to fight with my stupid landlady! She thought I was completely movin' out and wanted to sell off my apartment!"

"Calm down, Joey-love. It's all over and done with. We're here now. That's all that matters," Jesse said, trying to console the blond.

"Just…hurry up and get inside," Kaiba spat. Getting along with Joey was going to be harder than he thought if they were going to fight every chance they got.

Everyone sighed and followed Kaiba into the mansion; they were quite impressed by the grandeur of the place.

But soon they were startled out of their musings by a loud shriek and the pounding of feet.

Mokuba burst from out of nowhere and threw himself at his brother, hugging him tightly in greeting. "Hi, Seto!" he said, pulling away. "What are they doing here? And who are you?" Mokuba asked, noticing Jesse for the first time.

Jesse was slightly surprised to see that Kaiba's brother was so much younger than them, but he smiled all the same. Mokuba's innocent look made him happy. "I'm Jesse. Joey and I grew up together and I transferred to his school this year," he explained cheerfully.

"Cool! It's nice to meet you. I'm Mokuba! Now why is everyone here, Seto?" the young boy asked again, tugging on his brother's sleeve.

Kaiba held the bridge of his nose, feeling an oncoming headache. "They are going to be living here for the next few months."

"Why?"

"Because our idiot music teacher said so!" the brunet snapped.

Mokuba had an odd look on his face, like he was trying not to laugh and stay serious at the same time. "You're taking…music?" he started, desperately trying to hold back his laughter.

"Yes," Kaiba deadpanned.

"Like singing and stuff?" Mokuba continued. His older brother's glare was all the answer he needed. "And Joey, Duke, and Jesse are here because you're like, what, starting a boy band?"

Everyone burst out laughing at this point, especially when Kaiba's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates before sputtering, "We're not starting a boy band!"

"Sure you aren't," giggled Mokuba. "Sorry, Seto. I couldn't resist. Imagining you singing and getting involved in music is just…well…funny!"

Kaiba growled as he started storming off. "Show them to their rooms, Mokuba," he said, leaving everyone a bit dumbfounded. Why was Kaiba so negative about music?

* * *

_**Joey and Jesse's New Room**_

"I have a great idea, Joey," Jesse exclaimed excitedly.

Said blond raised an eyebrow. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. "Oh?" he replied suspiciously.

"There's a great way for you and Kaiba to start hitting it off! All you have to do is…" and Jesse trailed off, whispering into Joey's ear, a slight blush staining the blond's cheeks.

* * *

_**Kaiba's Study**_

Kaiba's head shot up when he heard a knock on his door. Assuming it was Mokuba, he opened it, only to reveal his Puppy, who appeared quite nervous.

"What do you want, Pup?" Kaiba asked bluntly.

"Um, ya said that ya have a piano, right? I was wonderin' if ya could show me where it is," Joey answered timidly.

Kaiba stared at him blankly for a moment before replying. "This way," he said, marching out of his study and down the hall. Joey followed him, practically running in order to catch up with his long strides.

When they reached the end of the hall, Kaiba opened the last door on the right and led Joey inside, closing the door behind them.

In the center of the room there stood a grand piano. It was absolutely beautiful. Joey felt a smile come to his face as he walked toward it.

Kaiba watched Joey carefully, feeling somewhat pleased by the way his Puppy seemed to adore the piano. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when Joey patted a spot next to him on the bench, indicating that he should sit next to him. Kaiba did so, but sat down stiffly on Joey's left, staring down at the piano keys.

"Have…ya ever played on this piano before?" Joey asked.

Kaiba shook his head as he fiddled with one of the keys.

"Do…ya wanna listen to me play for a bit?" Startled, Kaiba eyed him carefully before consenting to hear Joey play. "Any requests?"

For the first time in his life, Kaiba felt like he was at a loss for words. But after some thought, he said, "Could you play Mozart's _Symphony No. 25_?" he asked distantly.

_What brought that on?_ Joey thought to himself concernedly as he rested his hands on the keys.

And then he started to play.

Kaiba watched Joey's nimble fingers glide over the keys flawlessly, the music seeping into his very soul. It was…beautiful. So beautiful. And it reminded him so much of…

Joey turned to glance at Kaiba and what he saw shocked him so much that his hands faltered on the keys.

Kaiba was crying.

The CEO sniffed and rubbed his eyes vigorously after Joey stopped playing so abruptly.

"Are…ya okay? Kaiba?" Joey asked quietly.

"I'm fine," he said softly, avoiding eye contact. He jumped when he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.

"Why'd ya want me to play this song? Tell me. Please?" _It had to be the song, right? He wouldn't just cry for no reason._

Kaiba took a deep breath and sighed. Should he tell him? It was…quite personal. But…if he told him, then that would mean it was a first step in trusting one another, right? Well, he might as well go for it then. "My…mother used to play that song all the time when I was younger. I would sit on her lap and just listen to her play. All of that stopped when she died…my love of music…and my wanting to ever be involved with music."

Joey's heart ached for him and he felt horrible for even playing the song. "I'm sorry. Maybe…I shouldn't have-"

"No, Puppy. It's fine," Kaiba said firmly, looking at him again, this time with teary blue eyes. "I wanted to hear you play. And I just…wanted to hear her song again."

They sat in silence for a bit before Joey spoke up again. "Do…ya want to play your mother's song with me?"

Kaiba looked confused. "How? I don't know how to play."

"Just lay your hands on top of mine and when I play, it'll be like you're playin', too," Joey replied.

"Like this?" Kaiba asked, laying his hands lightly on top of Joey's.

The blond fought back a blush as he nodded, but soon Kaiba pulled his hands away. Disappointed by the loss of contact, Joey yelped when he suddenly felt two strong arms pull him into the CEO's lap. "What're ya-"

"It'll be easier this way," Kaiba interrupted, placing his hands on top of Joey's again while resting his chin on his Puppy's shoulder. "You can start whenever you're ready."

Joey felt himself shiver as a tingle ran through him from the top of his head, down to the soles of his feet. This was a hell of a lot closer than he'd been expecting. Thank goodness he was sitting on Kaiba's lap and not the other way around.

Mustering up what courage and self-control he had left, Joey began playing Mozart's _Symphony No. 25_ once more, Kaiba's hands following his own as he played.

It was the best seven and a half minutes of their lives.

* * *

_**Joey and Jesse's New Room**_

"What're you all smiley about?" Jesse asked knowingly when Joey finally returned to their room.

"Um…nothing," the blond replied quickly.

"Oh, don't give me that! Now tell me!" implored Jesse eagerly.

"We…played piano together. And he…kinda made me sit on his lap."

Jesse's eyes widened comically. "So I take it you had fun?" he laughed.

Joey blushed furiously as he chucked a pillow at his friend's head. Jesse took that as a yes.

"Let's just go to bed. I'm beat and we have school tomorrow," groaned Joey, collapsing onto the bed.

"Fine." Jesse lay down next to him and the blond pulled the covers over them both. They relaxed and drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

_**Kaiba's Bedroom**_

All he heard was a scream.

And that's all it took to send him bolting from his bed.

Kaiba quickly looked around his room and listened intently. It was quiet. Maybe he'd imagined it.

Lying back down, he was just about to fall back asleep when he heard another scream. This time it was much louder, and a lot longer.

Leaping from his bed, he sprinted from his room and out into the hallway, only to collide with Duke and Mokuba.

"You heard it, too, Seto?" Mokuba asked worriedly.

Kaiba nodded. "Who-" He was cut off by another short scream followed by whimpers…and Joey's voice. Pushing past his brother and Duke, Kaiba approached the door to their room and knocked. When he didn't receive the response he wanted, he opened the door, Duke and Mokuba peeking into the room from behind him.

Joey sat in the middle of the bed, Jesse huddled in his arms as he tried to comfort the trembling teen. He was sobbing so hard it almost looked as if it were too hard for him to breathe.

"Jesse, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine," Joey said soothingly, rocking the other teen back and forth comfortingly.

"Joey?" Mokuba's soft voice seemed to penetrate the dire atmosphere. "Is everything okay?"

Joey's eyes snapped toward the small crowd at the door before he replied. "Yes. He just had a nightmare."

"It must have been some nightmare," Duke mumbled under his breath, eyeing Jesse anxiously.

"Just…give me a few minutes. Please." Joey's eyes begged them to leave, and they did, albeit reluctantly.

When Joey had finally calmed Jesse, he laid him back down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. "Try to relax and get some rest. If ya need me, just yell," said Joey. Jesse nodded in understanding and clutched the blankets to him closely as he let out a shaky breath.

Stepping away from the bed, Joey left the room, closing the door behind him softly.

"What's going on?" Kaiba demanded almost immediately.

"Jesse just had a nightmare. That's all," Joey explained nervously.

"That was more than just a nightmare," Duke exclaimed. "I know there's more to it than that."

Joey fidgeted between the two teens and was soon saved from responding due to Mokuba's reappearance. He was carrying a giant teddy bear that seemed to be as big as he was.

"I thought Jesse might want something to comfort him. Maybe this'll help with the nightmares. Can I give it to him?" asked Mokuba.

"Sure," Joey answered quietly.

"Why don't you stay with Jesse for a bit? We need to talk to the Mutt," Kaiba said. Mokuba nodded and went into the room.

When the door closed behind him, Kaiba took Joey by the shoulders and dragged him away from the room, down the hall, and into his study. Duke followed after them. Slamming the door shut, Kaiba turned on the blond, glaring full force.

"You better tell me what the hell is going on!"

"I…I can't. I'm sorry, I just can't," Joey said apprehensively.

"Come on, Joey. Tell us. Maybe we can help," Duke offered, trying to act as some sort of medium.

"Ya wouldn't understand. Ya could never understand…but I do," Joey said distantly, a look of desperation on his face.

Kaiba did _not_ like that look. He reached out to touch him on the arm, saying, "Puppy-"

"No!" Joey snapped, snatching his arm away. "Just leave us alone! I'm handlin' it!"

"Apparently, you're not handling it well enough if he wakes up screaming in the middle of the night!" said Kaiba, losing his temper. He regretted his words as soon as he said them when he saw the hurt look on his Puppy's face.

Joey felt as if he'd just been slapped. That was…harsh…but maybe Kaiba was right. Maybe he couldn't help Jesse. Feeling tears sting his eyes, he ran for the door, but two sets of arms caught him and pulled him back.

"Let me go!" Joey screamed, fighting both Duke and Kaiba's grip.

"No. Not until you let us help you and Jesse," Duke began. "We promise that whatever you say won't leave this room. Right, Kaiba?"

"Right," the bruent answered, agreeing with Duke. Maybe he should take a different approach with Joey. "It's okay, Puppy. You can tell us."

Shocked by Kaiba's kind words, Joey stopped fighting them and started fighting himself. If he told them what happened to Jesse, then they'd probably find out what happened to him. And he wasn't sure if he was ready to face that yet.

"Are you going to tell us now, Puppy? Because we'll stay here all night if we have to," said Kaiba, and the blond believed they would.

"Can ya let me go first?" Joey pleaded. After they let him go, he hugged himself, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Jesse's stepfather abused him…and he…raped him. He ran away from home as soon as he turned eighteen. That's why he's stayin' with me. I understand, so I've been tryin' to help him."

Duke felt as if his heart ripped in half at hearing what had happened to Jesse. How could someone do that to him? He was so sweet, kind-hearted, and gentle. And Duke _really _liked him. Jesse deserved to be treasured, loved, and adored, and Duke was willing to give him just that.

Kaiba looked at Joey, dumbfounded and shocked that Jesse had gone through something so terrible.

And as he thought over Joey's words, something he'd said struck him deeper than a knife ever could.

Joey had said that he understood. Did that mean something had happened to _his_ Puppy? Did someone hurt _his_ Puppy like that?

Kaiba was determined to find out.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

"Devlin, go send my brother to bed and stay with Jesse for now. The Mutt and I need to have a little talk," said Kaiba. The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

Duke eyed Kaiba and Joey warily for a moment before he left the study. As he walked down the hall toward Joey and Jesse's room, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of grief. How could someone so sweet and so innocent be hurt so badly? No one deserved that.

He arrived at the room sooner than he'd expected. Pausing, he rapped lightly on the door; Mokuba answered it.

"Hey, Mokuba. Your brother wants you to go to bed. I'll sit with Jesse," Duke offered quietly.

The young boy glanced back at Jesse, who was now sound asleep on the edge of the bed. "Um, okay. But he just fell asleep. Try not to wake him."

"I won't," replied Duke as he ushered the small boy out of the room. Closing the door as softly as he could, he stepped over to the bed and sat on the floor so that he could be near Jesse.

The other teen's face looked so calm and peaceful to him. It was actually quite hard to believe that Jesse's stepfather had hurt him so badly.

Lifting his hand shakily, Duke tentatively reached out to Jesse and began stroking his soft, silky black and blue locks. He smiled gently when he heard Jesse sigh contentedly and unconsciously leaned into his touch.

It was then that Duke decided that he would do all that it took to help Jesse heal, and to show him how he _should _be treated; especially by someone who cared for him.

Duke hoped Kaiba would do the same for Joey.

* * *

Joey stood frozen to his spot in the middle of the room. He didn't move; he couldn't move. And all Kaiba could do was stand there right along with him, watching him helplessly.

"Puppy?"

The blond just kept his eyes focused on the floor. He was currently beating himself up for spilling his darkest secret to the CEO. Why, oh why, did he have to go and tell them the truth? Why couldn't he have just kept it a secret? And what if his friends found out that he'd-

"Joey."

His head snapped up. He hadn't expected Kaiba to use his first name.

"What?" the blond asked, confused by the sudden use of his first name.

"Come sit down with me," Kaiba said, beckoning him to sit on the couch in his study.

"Why?" Joey inquired, frightened all over again.

"So we can talk. It'll be more comfortable than standing here in the middle of the room," Kaiba continued in the same gentle manner.

Well, that _did_ make sense. But sitting on a couch with Kaiba so that they could be more comfortable when they talked sounded…_so_ unlike him. However, Joey gave in.

Both he and Kaiba headed for the couch at the same time. After they sat down, the brunet noticed that Joey was pressing himself up against the side of the couch as far away from him as he possibly could.

Sighing, Kaiba scooted closer to Joey, which only made him jump. Seeing as how this was going nowhere, he decided to say something he'd never thought he'd say to anyone other than Mokuba.

"Thank you," Kaiba said softly. Those two simple words brought Joey out of his stupor.

"Huh? For what?" the blond asked hesitantly.

"For playing for me earlier…and for being there when I needed someone to talk to about my mother. It was…nice. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Well, _that_ was weird.

They were silent for a moment longer before Kaiba started speaking again. "I want to help you, Joey. But I can't do anything if you don't talk to me," he said powerlessly.

The blond had never expected, in all the time he'd known the CEO, to hear those words come from Kaiba's mouth. Never. Especially to someone like him. "Why do ya want to help me all of a sudden? Don't ya…hate me?"

"I…don't think I ever hated you, Puppy. And I do care. I don't like seeing you this way. Let me help you," Kaiba stated firmly. His voice never wavered and Joey could see the sincerity in his sapphire eyes.

And Joey knew he could trust him. Maybe…_he_ could take all the pain away.

"What do ya wanna know?" Joey asked hoarsely, hugging himself as if trying to keep warm. He couldn't believe he was actually letting Kaiba in.

"Did you go through what Jesse went through?" the brunet asked in a rush. It was blunt and straight to the point, which seemed a little harsh even in his own eyes, but he needed to know. He needed to know if his Puppy had been hurt like Jesse had.

Joey squeezed his eyes shut as he fought back tears and memories he thought he'd buried in the past. He gave Kaiba permission to ask and now he had to answer, right?

"Almost," the blond answered in a barely audible voice.

_Almost? What the hell does 'almost' mean? _"Can you be more specific?" Kaiba asked as soothingly as he could.

And then the tears started to fall.

Vicious sobs racked Joey's small body as he pulled his arms around his legs even tighter, as if he were trying to make himself appear as small as possible.

"I can't-" Joey was interrupted by Kaiba swiftly pulling him into his lap. He wrapped his arms around the blond's narrow waist and rocked him back and forth, trying to calm him.

Taken aback by Kaiba's sudden display of affection, Joey did the only thing he felt capable of doing. He put his arms around the CEO's neck, buried his face in his chest, and cried his heart out.

And Kaiba just sat there doing what he could to comfort him. He rubbed his back, he made comforting sounds, and he hugged him even tighter.

"Why are ya doin' this?" Joey mumbled into Kaiba's chest.

"I told you already. I do care, Puppy. It…just took me a while to figure that out."

Joey pulled away slightly so that he could look Kaiba in the face. "Ya care about me?"

"Yes," replied Kaiba awkwardly, a light blush staining his cheeks. He hoped Joey wouldn't notice.

He did.

"Are ya blushin'?" Joey asked, shock clearly written on his face, his tears subsiding. _Why is he blushin'? Does he really like me?_

"No," Kaiba spluttered in response. He was _really_ blushing now. "I mean…maybe. But it doesn't really matter becau-" Joey silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"Shut up, Seto," the blond said calmly.

_Seto? Did he just call me Seto? Why'd he- _

All of the CEO's thoughts were put on hold when Joey's lips abruptly made contact with his. The kiss was light and chaste, but it was enough to melt Kaiba into a nice little puddle of dragon goo.

Joey's mind was in overdrive. He couldn't believe he was actually kissing Kaiba, the man he'd grown to love after all this time. And the brunet hadn't pushed him away, so that had to mean something good.

A few minutes later, they broke apart. Breathing heavily, blazing amber eyes stared into molten sapphire ones. They stayed like that until they had the ability to speak again.

Mustering up what courage he could, Joey said, "I love ya, Seto. I have for a while now. And I know ya probably don't feel the same, but I just thought ya should know." He tried to remove himself from Kaiba's lap so that he could run and hide, but the CEO pulled him back.

Shocked once more by his actions, Joey could only look at him, awestruck when Kaiba lifted a hand to his face and stroked his cheek.

"You're wrong, Puppy. I do feel the same. I love you, too. I just didn't know what it was that I was feeling until a short while ago," Kaiba replied earnestly, a light smile dusting his lips. But that smile gradually faded as his expression grew serious once more. "Puppy? Can you please tell me what happened to you? I won't tell a soul. It'll only be between us if that's what you want. I want to help you through this. I care too much for you to do otherwise."

Joey sighed as he dropped his head unceremoniously on Kaiba's shoulder. Burying his face in the crook of the CEO's neck for a minute, he finally began to talk.

"My father started beatin' me as soon as my mom and sister left. He would get drunk…and then he would start hittin' me…callin' me names…and blamin' me for everythin' that went wrong in his life. When…I turned fourteen, he started bringin' his friends home."

At this, Joey paused, a blank look crossing his face. "They were…as wasted and cruel as he was. Maybe even more so. And then he…started lettin' them use me," Joey cried, tears streaming down his face once more. "They made me do things I didn't wanna do. I didn't wanna do them, Seto. But they made me. Seto, they made me."

"Puppy." Kaiba pulled him into a fierce hug, refusing to let him go. He could feel tears stinging his own eyes, but he also felt a sense of rage wash over him. He wanted to kill the men who dared to harm his Puppy, but he knew that was nearly impossible. All he could do, all he wanted to do, was sit there with Joey in his arms and comfort him in the best way he knew how.

"It stopped when I was sixteen. As soon as I turned eighteen, I moved out. And I haven't seen any of them, includin' my father, since," Joey continued in a strained voice. "And I understand if ya don't want to be with me now-"

"No, Puppy. Listen to me," Kaiba said, staring lovingly into Joey's eyes. "What happened to you doesn't change how I feel about you. I _love_ you. I'm going to show you what it's like to be cared for by someone who truly loves you. All right?"

Joey threw his arms around Kaiba's neck and squeezed him affectionately. The brunet took that as a yes.

"Thank ya so much," Joey whispered, planting a light kiss on Kaiba's cheek.

The CEO smiled heartily. "You're welcome. Now let's go to bed. Since Duke is looking after Jesse, would you mind sharing my room for the night?"

"Um…okay. But I don't wanna do anythin' with ya, if ya know what I mean," Joey answered apprehensively.

"And I wouldn't ask you to. We won't do anything you're not comfortable with. I'll wait forever if I have to…because I love you that much. But I might just expect a little goodnight kiss," Kaiba hinted, smirking playfully.

"Okay," Joey replied, a playful smirk crossing his features as well, "but you'll have to catch me first!" And with that, the blond bolted from the room.

Momentarily stunned, Kaiba finally regained his wits about him and sprinted after his Puppy. He found him standing in the middle of the hallway looking absolutely confused.

"It looks like I've caught you, Puppy," announced the CEO as he wrapped his arms around Joey's waist.

"Hehe…yeah. Um, maybe I should have asked where your room was first before I ran off," Joey started embarrassedly.

"Silly Puppy," Kaiba muttered before he kissed Joey gently on the lips. "Now let's go to bed. And we're not going to school tomorrow, either, or the rest of the week for that matter."

"Huh? Why? It's only the first week back!"

"Because I think you and Jesse should take it easy for awhile. We'll return back to school next week. I am going to pamper you, and Devlin just might do the same to Jesse. I'll just tell our bitch music teacher that we're working on stuff for the talent show or whatever. She'll believe it and excuse us from school. What do you think?" he said as he led Joey to his room.

"I think ya just wanna find a way to get somethin' other than a kiss outta me. I think I'm gonna be spendin' the entire week runnin' away from ya to protect myself from ya molestin' me," Joey responded teasingly as he sauntered into Kaiba's room.

"If you keep that up, you just might have to," the brunet growled as he shut the door behind them.

"Have to what? Eep! Seto! What're ya doin'? I said no-uhn…ah…Seto…"

* * *

**End Chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the music mentioned in this chapter

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 4 **

Jesse yawned loudly and stretched as he woke. Feeling the empty spot next to him, he bolted upright. Where was Joey?

A soft sound, much like someone snoring, brought him out of his thoughts. Curled up beside the bed was Duke. He looked awfully uncomfortable, but why was he here?

Jesse reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hm? Oh…morning, Jesse," Duke said sleepily as he stretched. "How are you feeling?"

Feeling? Had he been sick? "What do you mean?" asked Jesse, perplexed.

"Um…well, you kinda had a nightmare last night," Duke replied hesitantly. He wasn't sure how Jesse would respond to that.

"A…nightmare?" Jesse sort of remembered what happened, but only vaguely. He remembered waking up from his nightmare, Joey calming him down, Mokuba giving him a teddy bear and staying with him, and…someone running their fingers through his hair.

"Yeah…a nightmare," Duke echoed, looking like he wanted to say something else, but stopped himself.

"What is it?" asked Jesse, noticing Duke's timid expression. "Did…I do something?"

"No, you didn't do anything at all!" Duke protested. "It's just…Kaiba kinda backed Joey into a corner last night after you had your nightmare and he…told us what happened to you," he continued quietly.

Jesse visibly paled when he heard this. _Oh, no! Why? Why did this have to happen to me? Now that he knows, Duke would never…he'd never want someone like me. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up._

"Hey," Duke said, trying to make eye contact with Jesse, hoping to change the subject in the process. "I was wondering if you'd…like to spend the day with me."

Jesse noticeably reddened. He was like a human mood ring. _He wants to spend time with me? Why? Does he…actually like me? _"You…want me to spend the day with you? Like…a…date?"

"Yes! I mean…no, er…I don't know. Maybe?" he stuttered hopefully. "Only if you want it to be a date, because we could just go out as friends or whatever."

"That all depends on one thing," Jesse answered after some thought.

"And what's that?"

"Do you like me? Because I can't…promise you a physical relationship or anything like that. And if that's what you want, then…I can't. I'm sorry," explained Jesse. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes. Why couldn't Duke just leave and stop tormenting him like this? No one could want someone like him.

Then he felt a gentle hand lift his chin. "I really do like you, Jesse. But I won't do anything you don't want to. Okay? You're sweet and caring and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. I know you don't know me or trust me. I'm just asking for a chance to be with you," Duke said earnestly.

"How could you want someone like me? I've been…used and-"

"Jesse," interrupted Duke, "can I tell you something?" Jesse nodded mutely. "When I was little, my dad would beat me and my mom. I would have bruises just about everywhere. When my mom finally divorced him, I got to stay with her and all the abuse stopped. It was the start of a new life.

"I know that we can never completely forget the past, but we can move forward and make something special out of the life we do have. And I truly believe you deserve that. I want to help you start that new life, if you'll let me. I'm patient…and I'll give you all the time and effort you need. All you have to do is say yes."

Jesse's tears gradually started to fall after hearing Duke speak. It was what he truly wanted to hear. Duke did care about him. "You stayed with me all night…didn't you?"

Duke nodded.

"And you ran your fingers through my hair?"

Duke blushed, and then nodded.

Jesse threw himself at Duke and hugged him fiercely. "Thank you so much for caring. I've only ever had Joey to run to, but he never liked me like that. I want to try! I really do!"

Duke laughed heartily. "Then we'll try. So, do you want to go to the mall with me today?"

* * *

Seto smiled when he looked at Joey cuddled up next to him in his bed. It was a pleasant feeling. He could get used to this.

"Wake up, Puppy," he said, coaxing Joey into wakefulness.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled into the pillow, swatting at Seto. It was then the brunet decided to try the tactic he'd used last night. Tickling.

Running his hand up and down Joey's side, his Puppy finally jolted awake.

"I'm up! I'm up! Now stop!" Joey giggled as Seto mercilessly tickled him.

"Fine," conceded Seto, halting his vicious tickling. "Do you want to spend the day together?"

"Okay…but only if ya promise we can start practicin' _music_ this afternoon. All four of us," Joey stated firmly.

"All right. Would you like to go to the mall?"

"Okay!"

* * *

_**Domino Mall with Duke and Jesse**_

"Oh, Duke! Isn't he cute?" Jesse squealed when he saw the black kitten in the window of the pet shop.

Duke knew at once that this would not end well for him. "Yeah. Cute."

"Let's go inside and have a better look," Jesse demanded, dragging Duke into the pet shop.

About an hour later, they came out. Jesse was carrying his new kitten while smothering both Duke and the kitten in light kisses.

"Thank you so much, Duke! You're really great, you know that?"

"Yeah. We'll see how great I am when I try to convince Kaiba to let us keep a kitten in his mansion."

* * *

_**Domino Mall with Seto and Joey**_

"Oh, Seto! Isn't he cute?" Joey squealed when he saw the golden puppy in the window of the pet shop.

Seto knew at once that this would not end well for him. "Yeah. Cute."

"Let's go inside and have a better look," Joey demanded, dragging Seto into the pet shop.

About an hour later, they came out. Joey was carrying his new puppy while smothering both Seto and the puppy in light kisses.

"Thank ya so much, Seto! How can I ever repay ya?"

"Your being happy is enough for me. Now let's go home and get this little one settled."

Home.

Joey smiled at the thought.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

"Hey, Kaiba? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Duke asked as he peeked into Seto's study. It looked like he was alone.

Seto looked up from his laptop and beckoned for Duke to come in. "You…can call me Seto. I think the four of us have been through enough of an ordeal for us to be on a first name basis."

"Okay," Duke said in astonishment.

"Did you want something?"

"Oh! Yeah. Um…let me put it to you this way. How do you feel about cats?"

Seto's brows knitted in confusion. "I…like them?"

"Good," Duke replied, sighing in relief.

"Why is that good?" Seto asked, standing up from his desk.

Duke took a step back. "Well, I kinda got Jesse a kitten. Hey! Don't look at me like that! You should have seen the two of them. The kitten made big, cute eyes, then Jesse made big, cute eyes and then they turned their big, cute eyes on me and I just cracked under the pressure!"

"Hn," was Seto's only response. Soon there was a loud crash, followed by the hiss of a kitten and the yelp of a puppy. Seto turned to face Duke again. "How do you feel about dogs?"

"I…like them?" Duke responded, mimicking Seto's earlier answer. Then his eyes narrowed. "It's not so easy, is it?"

"Tsk. Puppy eyes are much worse than kitten eyes. Now let's see what kind of trouble they've gotten themselves into," replied Seto.

"Who? Joey and his puppy or Jesse and his kitten?"

"I'll handle my puppies and you handle your kittens. Deal?"

"Uh, deal." Since when was Jesse his kitten? But the more Duke thought about it, the more he liked it.

As they headed down the stairs, Seto and Duke noticed that Jesse, Joey, and their tiny partners in crime were laying on the floor covered in…well…let's just say they were a mess.

Seto walked over to Joey and his drenched puppy; it seemed they'd broken a vase of flowers. He stooped down and offered the blond his hand. "Come on, mutts. Let's get the both of you cleaned up."

"We're not mutts!" Joey protested. "And his name's Setsuya!"

"Aww! That's so cute!" exclaimed Jesse, nearly breaking Duke's nose when he jumped up from the floor with his kitten; they were both covered in dirt from a plant they'd knocked over. "My little guy's name is Otose!"

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to will away his oncoming headache. He was starting to believe that Jesse, Joey, Setsuya, and Otose were the four horsemen of the apocalypse, but hey, that was his opinion. It didn't matter if his mansion would be destroyed because of these four.

"Puppy, let's get you into some dry clothes. Then we'll meet in the music room and we can practice, all right?" Seto quipped.

"Fine!" Joey huffed. "Ya don't have to be so mean! Isn't that right, Setsuya?"

Seto inwardly groaned. Now he was talking _to_ the puppy! Maybe he should have the maids animal-proof his mansion.

"You, too, Kitten. Let's get you cleaned up," said Duke, taking Jesse by the hand.

Jesse cocked his head to the side cutely. "Kitten?"

"Yeah. Kitten. I think…it fits you," Duke replied shyly.

Jesse smiled. "I like it. Thanks, Love."

Joey watched their exchange in adoration. "That's so sweet! Hey, Seto! Can I give ya a nickname?"

"No."

"But…why not?"

"Because anything you come up with will either be mocking, immoral, or degrading, so no."

"But, Seto!" whined Joey. "I thought ya loved me!"

"I do."

"Then why won't ya let me give ya a nickname?"

"I'd prefer it if you'd just call me Seto," he argued back weakly.

Joey stomped his foot. "If ya don't let me give ya a nickname, I swear I'll call ya somethin' embarrassin' until ya let me!"

"Pfft. Whatever, Puppy. Come on," said Seto, dragging his Puppy unwillingly up the stairs.

"Let go of my hand, Cupcake!" Joey jumped when Seto rounded on his.

"Cupcake?"

_Whoa!_ Joey thought to himself. _I didn't know veins could bulge out of someone's neck like that! Is he really that mad?_

"You are not calling me Cupcake!" seethed Seto.

"Let me call ya the real nickname I have for ya and I won't!" screamed Joey.

"Fine," Seto conceded after a couple of minutes. "What is it that you want to call me?" He decided that he should at least _try _to give into his Puppy's wishes.

Joey seemed hesitant all of a sudden. "Um…can…I call ya…Dragon?" he asked apprehensively.

"Yes," Seto said quickly, taking Joey's hand again and taking him up the stairs. Well, that was easier than Joey had expected. "On one condition." Or not.

"What's that?"

Seto turned just enough so that Joey could see his smirk. "You call me Master when we're in bed."

Joey's jaw dropped as he gasped. "Oh, hell no! Ya perverted freak! I am not callin' ya that!"

"They have one of the most complex relationships on the planet," said Duke as he and Jesse watched them head up the stairs for about the fifth time.

Jesse nodded then cringed when Joey started yanking on Seto's ear while screaming into it. "They act like an old married couple."

"Yeah…er, maybe not. Do old married couples usually throw someone over their shoulder after being pulled by the ear?"

"I…don't think so. And I don't think they fondle each other like that either. Hm…this is definitely going to be an interesting experience," said Jesse.

"Eep! Seto, stop it!"

"Yeah…interesting…" Duke trailed off.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion (Music Room)**_

"So, Joey? Do we want to warm up a bit first? Then we can decided who should do what for the four songs we do at the Talent Show," said Jesse.

"Okay. Do ya wanna do somethin' simple? Like piano and vocals?" asked Joey.

"Sure."

"What about us?" inquired Seto, who was crossing his arms. Duke stood in a similar manner.

"You two get to be our audience," chimed Joey. "Have a seat and we'll get started."

Jesse and Joey forced Duke and Seto into a pair of chairs and then headed for the middle of the music room.

"Ya wanna sing first?" asked Joey as he sat at the piano.

"Yeah. I'm gonna do _Magnet & Steel_ by Matthew Sweet," said Jesse.

"Nice choice. I'll do backup, too, if ya want."

Jesse nodded.

* * *

_Magnet & Steel by Matthew Sweet_

_**Both – **__Ooh ooh ah_

_**Jesse – **__Now I've told you so you ought to know_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__Takes some time for our feeling to grow_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__You're so close now I can't let you go_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__And I can't let go_

_**Joey – **__With you I'm not shy_

_**Jesse – **__To show the way I feel_

_**Joey – **__With you I might try_

_**Jesse – **__My secrets to reveal_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_**Jesse – **__I can't hope that I'll hold you for long_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__You're a woman who's lost in her song_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__But the love that I feel is so strong_

_**Joey – **__Ooh_

_**Jesse – **__It can't be wrong_

_**Joey – **__With you I'm not shy_

_**Jesse – **__To show the way I feel_

_**Joey – **__With you I might try_

_**Jesse – **__My secrets to reveal_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_**Joey – **__With you I'm not shy_

_**Jesse – **__To show the way I feel_

_**Joey – **__With you I might try_

_**Jesse – **__My secrets to reveal_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_For you are a magnet and I am steel_

_**Both – **__I am steel_

_I am steel_

_

* * *

_

"That…was…amazing," Duke said, releasing his breath. Had he been holding it this whole time? Jesse and Joey were…fantastic!

Seto just gaped them, completely at a loss for words. His Puppy could sing! And play! At the same time! And it was good!

Jesse and Joey smiled and laughed at the antics of Duke and Seto.

"I think it's your turn, Joey. I'll play piano. Blow them out of the water, okay."

Joey winked at Jesse. "Let's do _Alone_ by Heart."

"Ooh!" Jesse squealed. "This is gonna be so great!"

* * *

_Alone by Heart (Just Joey on Vocals)_

_I hear the ticking of the clock_

_I'm lying here the room's pitch dark_

_I wonder where you are tonight_

_No answer on the telephone_

_And the night goes by so very slow_

_Oh I hope that it won't end though_

_Alone_

_Till now I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

_And now it chills me to the bone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_You don't know how long I have wanted_

_To touch your lips and hold you tight, oh_

_You don't know how long I have waited_

_And I was going to tell you tonight_

_But the secret is still my own_

_And my love for you is still unknown_

_Alone_

_Till now I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

_And now it chills me to the bone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_How do I get you alone_

_Alone, alone_

_

* * *

_

Joey smiled at Seto as he finished.

"Puppy?"

"Yeah, Dragon?"

"If I hadn't been in love with you before, I sure as hell would be now. You're excellent, Puppy. You definitely know how to move people with your voice. You too, Jesse," Seto said in awe.

Joey walked over to his Dragon and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. "Thanks."

"Do I get a kiss, too?" Jesse asked sweetly as he looked on Duke adorably.

"What? You mean like on the mouth?"

"Of course, silly," Jesse whispered as he gently placed his lips on Duke's quivering ones. They hadn't kissed like this before. It had just been really simple kisses on the cheek! And Duke's mind was going into massive overdrive. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Jesse asked as he pulled away.

"No," Duke replied breathlessly as he smiled stupidly at Jesse. He hazily glanced at Seto and Joey, who were staring at him incredulously. "What?"

Joey cleared his throat some and nodded his head curtly at Duke, trying to indicate something to him.

_What's he trying to-oh!_ How did he not notice _that _little problem?

"You were great, Jesse! Gottagotakeashowernow!" Duke said hastily as he ran off.

"Huh? What did he say?" Jesse asked, appearing thoroughly confused.

"He said he was gonna go take a shower," answered Joey, trying to hold in his laughter.

"Now? What for?"

Seto and Joey sighed. Jesse could be so innocent.

* * *

**End Chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of the music mentioned in this chapter

*Rated M for Mature

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

_**Domino High School (The Following Monday)**_

Seto, Joey, Duke, and Jesse entered Domino High School on Monday morning together. They hadn't been there long before they were confronted by Yugi and the gang.

"Hi, guys," greeted Yugi cheerfully. Tea smiled, Ryou waved, and Tristan crossed his arms while appearing quite disgusted.

"Hey," Joey started nervously.

"Where have you guys been? You've been gone a whole week!" exclaimed Yugi, looking concerned.

"Um…we got time off so that we could practice for the Talent Show. We have to perform four songs, while everyone else has to do one," Joey explained. Sure, he was sugar-coating a thing or two, but the rest of his friends didn't need to know all the details.

"And did you actually practice or were you too busy having an orgy?" spat Tristan in revulsion.

"Tristan!" scolded Tea. "How dare you say something like that to them! What did they ever do to you?" Tea was furious.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me! It's not my fault they're a bunch of perverted freaks," he replied. Tristan gasped when the air was suddenly knocked out of him.

A very pissed off Tea had tackled him to the ground and was currently yanking on his hair, showing no mercy. Everyone gaped at the scene in shock for a moment before stepping in.

Ryou and Yugi desperately tried to pull Tea off Tristan, with her spewing insults every two seconds. Who knew Tea's vocabulary could be so vulgar?

"Everyone, just stop it!" shrieked Jesse. They all froze and stared at Jesse mutely. He was panting and looked extremely upset. "What is wrong with you? All of you? What makes you think violence will solve any problem? It only makes it worse. Tristan, if you have a problem with me, don't take it out on the others. If you hate me so much—and I don't know what I've done to offend you so—just…avoid me. Don't talk to me. I don't care. Just don't hurt them because of me."

Tristan got up from the ground and approached Jesse menacingly. "You turned my best bud into a cock-sucking fag," he hissed lowly.

Jesse stumbled backward in fear, nearly knocking over Duke in the process; he didn't think anyone else heard what Tristan said, but Joey did!

"Ya fuckin' idiot!" snapped Joey, his eyes alight with a flame no one else had seen before. "If ya were a true friend, ya wouldn't care _what_ my sexual orientation is! Ya'd just accept me for who I am!"

"You mean…you're gay, Joey?" Yugi asked timidly. Seeing all of his friends going at it like this really shook him up.

Joey inhaled sharply before speaking. "Yes. Do ya have a problem with that?" Joey wasn't sure what he would do if Yugi turned on him.

"Not at all, Joey. You're my best friend. I just appreciate the fact that you trust me enough to tell me. Look at all that we've done for one another! Why should _who_ you like affect our friendship? You're still the same person, Joey. You're still my best friend," replied Yugi.

"Yeah, Joey. That's what friends are for. We look out for each other, regardless of what that may be," added Tea.

"They're absolutely right, Joey. We'll always be here for you," said Ryou.

Joey felt an arm go around his waist, pulling him into a brief hug as Seto kissed him lightly on the cheek. "And if they aren't, I most certainly will be," he whispered.

Everyone smiled as they watched the loving exchange between Seto and Joey. Everyone, that is, except Tristan.

He got even angrier. "If I had my way, people like you would be wiped off the face of this planet!"

Seto pushed Joey behind him and stepped in front of Tristan. "I, unlike you, _can_ get my way. So I suggest you leave them alone or there _will_ be hell to pay. Do you understand me?"

"Back off, Kaiba!" Tristan yelled, swinging his fist at Seto.

Seto's eyes glanced around and shimmered before he let Tristan punch him in the face.

"Mr. Taylor!" bellowed Mrs. Handley. Their music teacher had seen and heard the entire thing. "You are to come with me immediately! To the principal!" She grabbed Tristan by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him away.

Shortly thereafter, Tristan was expelled from school, and with a few phone calls made by Seto, he was transferred to a school _very_ far away.

* * *

_**Talent Show**_

"Are ya guys ready to do this?" Joey asked excitedly.

Jesse jumped up and down, Duke nodded eagerly, and Seto just gulped.

Intertwining his fingers with Seto's, Joey stepped on his tiptoes and kissed Seto on the nose. "It'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Just have fun."

"Okay. You boys are up! Knock 'em dead!" exclaimed Mrs. Handley.

They stepped onto the stage; Duke went to the drum set, Seto to bass, Joey to guitar, and Jesse to vocals.

* * *

_I Knew I Loved You_

By

Savage Garden

Sung by Jesse

_Maybe it's intuition  
But some things you just don't question  
Like in your eyes  
I see my future in an instant  
And there it goes  
I think I've found my best friend_

_I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe_

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life_

_There's just no rhyme or reason  
Only this sense of completion  
And in your eyes  
I see the missing pieces  
I'm searching for  
I think I've found my way home_

_I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe_

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life_

_A thousand angels dance around you  
I am complete now that I've found you_

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life_

* * *

At this point, Joey took over guitar, with Seto still on bass, Jesse on drum set, and Duke on vocals.

* * *

_Animal I Have Become_

By

Three Days Grace

Sung by Duke

_I can't escape this hell  
So many times I've tried  
But I'm still caged inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal, this animal_

_I can't escape myself  
So many times I've lied  
But there's still rage inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become_

_Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal_

_Somebody help me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself  
Somebody wake me from this nightmare  
I can't escape this hell_

_This animal, this animal  
This animal, this animal  
This animal, this animal  
This animal_

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become_

_Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal I have become_

* * *

This time a small orchestra appeared near the base of the stage, as well as a grand piano appearing on its center. Duke moved back to drum set, Jesse to guitar, Joey to the piano, and Seto sat on a chair next to the piano for vocals.

* * *

_Incomplete_

By

Backstreet Boys

Sung by Seto

_Empty spaces fill me up with holes  
Distant faces with no place left to go  
Without you, within me I can find no rest  
Where I'm going is anybody's guess_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is, incomplete_

_Voices tell me I should carry on  
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone  
Baby, my baby  
It's written on your face  
You still wonder if we made a big mistake_

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is, incomplete_

_I don't mean to drag it on  
But I can't seem to let you go  
I don't wanna make you face this world alone  
I wanna let you go..._

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I'm awake but my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I'm going to be is, incomplete..._

_Incomplete..._

* * *

They rotated one final time. Duke was still on drum set, while Seto moved on to bass. Jesse stayed on guitar, and Joey moved on to vocals.

* * *

_The (Shipped) Gold Standard_

By

Fall Out Boy

Sung by Joey

_Sometimes I wanna quit this all and become an accountant now.  
But I'm no good at math and besides the dollar is down.  
Plant palm trees on Lake Michigan before it gets cold.  
I gotta feel the wind chill again before I get old._

_I want to scream I love you from the top of my lungs.  
But I'm afraid that someone else will hear me._

_You can only blame your problems on the world for so long.  
Before it all becomes the same old song.  
As soon as we hit the hospital I know we're gonna leave this town.  
And get new passports and get get get get get out now!_

_All the "yes" men said "no comment."  
My mouth got "go away."  
Wrong way and all the cost that it's a no win.  
The time my dad caught me a horse shoe crab.  
And I asked him if throwing it back into the sea would bring our luck back?_

_I want to scream I love you from the top of my lungs  
But I'm afraid that someone else will hear me._

_You can only blame your problems on the world for so long.  
Before it all becomes the same old song.  
As soon as we hit the hospital I know we're gonna leave this town.  
And get new passports.  
Get out now!_

_Tell that boy I'll leave you alone now.  
Like a store I'll turn my love down.  
Soon we're in the profit of both in the business of soul._

_I want to scream I love you from the top of my lungs.  
But I'm afraid that someone else will hear me.  
I want to scream I love you from the top of my lungs.  
But I'm afraid that someone else will hear me._

_You can only blame your problems on the world for so long.  
Before it all becomes the same old song.  
As soon as we hit the hospital I know we're gonna leave this town.  
And get new passports.  
Get get get get get out.  
Get get get get get out now!_

* * *

The audience erupted like a volcano, cheering, applauding, whistling, and making any kind of noise possible to let them know they'd enjoyed the performance. Duke, Jesse, Joey, and Seto gathered toward the front of the stage, bowed embarrassedly, and practically fled backstage.

"You know what? I think we were actually pretty good," stated Jesse happily.

"I think you're right," added Joey. "Who'd have thou—um…are ya cryin', Mrs. Handley?"

Mrs. Handley was currently bawling her eyes out. She had a soaked handkerchief from her vicious tears clenched in her hand. "You boys were magnificent!" she sobbed. "I can finally die a happy old woman!"

At this, the four boys backed away, deciding they'd better make a run for it before their music teacher did something rash. Like glomping them or something.

"Maybe…we should go home," suggested Seto when he noticed a crazed look in her eyes.

"Yeah. Let's go," Duke agreed, and they bolted for the exit.

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

Duke and Jesse walked hand in hand up the stairs of the Kaiba Mansion until they reached Duke's room. It was late and it had been an awfully long day.

"Well, goodnight, Kitten," Duke said softly, planting a light kiss on Jesse's tender lips. As he pulled away, Jesse pulled him back.

"Duke?"

"Hm?"

"Have sex with me tonight," Jesse said bluntly, backing Duke into his room, and shutting the door behind them.

"Jesse—"

"I _want_ you to have sex with me tonight…please? I love you."

Duke was momentarily at a loss for words. "No, Jesse," he began slowly. "I don't want to have sex with you."

Jesse felt as though his heart was about to break.

"I want…to _make love_ to you." Jesse blushed furiously when Duke said it like that. "You deserve to be pampered…treasured…worshipped…loved…and I want to be your one and only. Forever. I love you, Jesse. And if you'll have me, I want to be forever yours."

"Forever…mine?" Jesse echoed breathlessly. If that wasn't the most romantic declaration of love he'd ever heard, he didn't know what was. So he answered in the best way he knew how.

He launched himself at Duke, knocking them both onto the bed, as Jesse smothered him in light kisses.

Duke chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes. Jesse?"

"Yes, Love?"

"Are…you sure you're ready for this? Because we can wait. I don't want you to feel obliged to—"

Jesse silenced him with a kiss. "Don't you ever shut up?"

"Only when you make me," Duke replied with a mock glare.

Jesse pouted cutely and rolled onto his back, pulling Duke on top of him. "I want to do this. I know you won't hurt me. I trust you. I love you."

Duke stared into his eyes for a long while, searching them for any sign of hesitation.

There wasn't.

* * *

Jesse collapsed exhaustedly on his lover's chest. Duke lifted his chin and kissed him passionately.

"I love you, Jesse. Forever and always."

"I love you, too, Duke. And I'll be yours, forever and always."

* * *

_**Kaiba Mansion**_

"Do you think we can be louder than them, Puppy?" Seto smirked against Joey's collarbone as he left a prominent hickey there.

"S-Seto, ya j-jerk—ah!" It was hard for him to think properly when he had a sexy Dragon on top of him. Come on now, what would you do?

Seto chuckled against his skin as he trailed kisses across his neck, leaving hot impressions on his skin.

"Mn…Seto…make love to me," Joey said suddenly, lifting Seto's face so that their eyes could meet.

Seto felt his mouth go dry. Make love? All they'd done was a few hot make-out sessions with their clothes still accounted for. And now Joey wanted to make love! With him!

"But, Puppy, are you sure? We haven't—"

"I know we haven't done anythin' more than just kiss and…well, ya grope…but, I want ya to make love to me, Dragon. I'm ready…and I love ya."

He looked absolutely ravishing in Seto's eyes at that moment. His Puppy didn't have to tell him that twice.

* * *

"That was wonderful, Seto," Joey said sleepily as his Dragon rolled onto his back, taking him with him. Joey curled up against his chest. "I love ya."

Seto smiled as he gazed at the peaceful look on his Puppy's face. "I love you, too, Joey. Forever love."

* * *

**End**


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